When the City of Howell’s downtown public restrooms opened in 2022, there were some around town who felt the added conveniences were, well, kind of an eyesore.
So the Howell Mainstreet design committee came up with a plan for the restrooms, which are located on Clinton Street, just behind the Historic Livingston County Courthouse. Downtown Development Director Lexie Wilcox said bids were accepted earlier this year from mural artists in the area to turn things around with art.
The theme was Nature. The budget was $6,000.
From more than a dozen applications, Howell artist Kelly Beacome was selected. Recently retired from Ford Motor Co., Beacome, 55, also operates Center Street Studios, offering murals, paintings, sculptures and other artistic services.
Two of his murals adorn Elephant Alley, he has artwork inside Aberrant Ales Brewery, and he’s the artist behind this mural on Michigan Avenue.
After several weeks of work on the project, the new mural is now almost complete. The application of a clear coat to seal it will be the last step.
Beacome’s newest mural is the result of old-fashioned art skills and relatively new technology.
“My process is I start with a very rough sketch on paper,” Beacome said. “Then I transfer it to my iPad, where I have a drawing program.”
Beacome transferred his drawings of wildlife animals and plants onto the walls with a virtual reality headset, which saved hours of work, he said.
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Meantime, from starting with a power wash, he battled the weather over the weeks.
“We got sunburned one day, battled snow on another,” he said.
Once the basic drawing was sketched onto the walls, the painting began. Beacome overcame the challenge of the walls being half brick with a design concept he had: “I kept coming back to this stained-glass vision,” he said.
The animals featured on some of the walls are all native to Michigan, and a cherry blossom adorns another wall.
“It’s not overpowering,” Beacome said. “It all ties in with the small-town atmosphere.”
As he stood by the facilities, working on finishing touches on a recent Sunday, the reviews began.
“Looking awesome,” a bystander called out.
“It’s all about putting art up in a public space so everyone can enjoy it,” Beacome said.
The process was public as well, he said. He enjoyed interactions with passers-by, and even allowed a few of them to paint a little. “Everyone was very positive.”
The end result was what he had hoped for, he said.
“I’m really hoping this kicks off an appreciation of public art,” he said.
